Fastening means



March 23 1926.

Y INVENTOR BY )mM/ZS ewf ATTO Patented Mar. 23, i926.

entre s'rares rarer risica. i

:MARCUS B. BEI-IRMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE LOX SEALCORPORA- TECN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F NEVI YORK.

FASTENING MEANS.

Application filed. April 1'7, 1925. Serial No. 23,833.

To @ZZ 107mm it may concern Be it known that I, MARCUS B. BEHRMAN, acitizen of the United States, and a resi dent of the city and State ofNew York, county of Kings, have invented new and useful Improvements ina Fastening Means, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates generally to tie member securing means and involvesan arrangement whereby the tie element or member secures articles ofmerchandise lin fixed association and against separation withoutdetection and coordinately involves an arrangement whereby terminal endsof a tie member can be secured against separation, and while so securedcan be made to ap proach each other by increments so Vas tocorrespondingly draw together the tie member about the merchandise.

Furriers in particular are presented with the diiiiculty that inshipping a number of skins, one or more skins are frequently removedfrein the ,group and such factcannot be detected unless and until theskins are counted and my invention has particular utility to preventsuch practice occurringv wit-hout detection. Its utility however eX-tends to the field of packaging'generally and it will be understood, asthis application is read that the fastener amendment can serve even abroader field.

I am aware of the fact that devices have been constructed for thispurpose in which 'terminal portions of a tie member were secured to afastening member which held the terminal portions against separation,but in those characters of devices with which I am acquainted, eitherthere is a provision by which the tie member can be released from thefastener at will or where such is not the case. or onlv tie member ofrdeterminate iene-th can be employed or the terminals of the tie membermust be speciallv treated or specially formed so as to adopt them forthe Jfastening operation and in either case.

Furthermore I am not aware of the device of this character in which thetie member is intended to be secured about merchandise with the terminalthereof held against separation, and while so heldv to be ,moved towardeach other soV as to tighten the tie member about the merchandise, or inwhichan indeterminate length of conlventional material rsuchas v wirecan have onel or both of its terminal ends secured withoutspecial-treatment of such terminal end er ends.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of an arrangementwhereby an indeterminate length of wire or similar material can beemployed so as to have the ends of such length locked together with thewire secured to and about an article of merchandise. or a group of sucharticles so that not only will any label or tag` attached to such wirebev incapablev of removal without detection,` but the merchandise or thegroups of articles so associated cannot be separated or disassociated orotherwise similarly tampered with without that fact being at onceapparent.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an arrangementwherein the shackle or tie which passes about the article of merchandiseor the group of articles can be of a conventional type such as wire on areel or spool, from which the desired length can be cut, andfurthermore, an arrangement by which no predetermined llength of wire isnecessary in order to have the device function and no special treatmentof the terminals of any length is necessary in order to have itcooperate for providing` the desired engaging action, f e

My invention further involves the provision of an arrangement whereby atie member and more particularly a tie member of the conventional typeand of indeterminate length can be secured about merchandise with itsterminal ends held against separation and while so held can be tightenedabout such merchandise, so as to tightlygrip the merchandise andprevents the disassociation thereof without detection.

For vthe attainment of these objects and such other objects as mayhereinafter apnear or he pointed out I have illustrated embodiments ofmy invention in the accom- 'panving drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a crosssectional View through one embodiment of my invention;

Fig'. 2 is aview partly in cross section through a second embodiment ofmy invention; and

Fig. '3 shows a group ofslrin'sy secured together against separation bymy' fastening means and with a label attachedthereto.

Upon viewing Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will be fobserved' that in thisembodiment Acontaetwwith vthe balls 15 'and force them there is provideda hollow casing in which there is received the plunger 12 arranged so asto slide freely within the casing and having its forward end tapered asshown at 13. This plunger has a circular passage 1a: longitudinallytherethrough of a diameter to freely receive a terminal end of a tiemember which in the illustrated embodiment is shown as in the form of alength of a conventional type and thickness of wire. This plunger 12 isprovided at its forward or tapered end 13 with the transverse passages15 extending from the central longitudinal passage 14 to the outersurface and of a size sufficiently large to receive, the balls 16 formovement therein transversely of the plunger 12. These balls are of adiameter with relation to the length of these transverse passages 15 sothat they can at the same time extend beyond the passages at both endsso as to simultaneously project part'way into the longitudinal passage1e' and be in contact with the inner wall of the conical passage 11 ofthe casing 10. l This plunger 12 as shown in the drawing is mat-eriallyshorter than the length of the interior of the casing so that it willhave movement longitudinally of and within such easing and a spiralspring 18 is positioned into the casing 10 and in back of the plunger 12with one end of the spring in abutting relation to the plug 19 lixedlyassociated with the casing 10 at its rear and the opposite end of thespring abutting against the rear surface of the plunger 12. Y

A flexible tie member 2lof a conventional type such as a length of wireis fixed to the rear end of the casing as by having one of its terminalends 23 upset against the inner surface of the plug 19 and has its otherterminal end 25 free. The casing 10 is further provided in its forwardwall with the passage 21 through such wall which passage is in registrywith the passage 14 through the plunger 12 and is also of a dimension soas to freely receive a terminal end of a tie member such as a wirefreely and yet without any substantial space thereabout.

In the use of a device of this character, it will, be understood thatthe spring 18 will normally retain the plunger 12 in its eX-treme'forward position to the left of Fig. 1 and the action of theinclined surface 11 at .the forward end of" the casing will be such asto force the balls inwardly toward each other and into ,the centralchannel 14. Upon the insertion of the terminal end f the wire 24 throughthe opening 21 and into the passage 14, such terminal end will apart.and in suc-h action results from the c'oaction of .the'balls with theinclined "surfacell, until a point is reached, where the space betweenthe balls is suiicient to permit the terminal end 25 to pass between theballs for the desired distance and upon a release of this invention thespring 18 will act to move the plunger forwardly to the left as far aspossible which is determined by thc relative dimensions of the parts.Any attempt to withdraw this terminal end will be prevented because suchaction will tend to draw up the balls 15 forwardly with it and any suchtendency will Vcause the inclined wall 11 to still further engage andclutch the terminal end 25 against withdrawal.

I am aware of the fact that attempts have hitherto been made toautomatically secure the terminal end of a tie or. connecting member toa fastening member to which the other end of the tie or connectingmember has been permanently fixed but in all of these arrangements withwhich I am acquainted, none of them have provided against the withdrawalwhether accidentally or intentionally of the'terminal end soautomatically connected and clutched to the fastener, and in which asfar as I am aware, has the tie member been of the conventional type sothat, for instance, where it is desired to secure the two terminal endsagainst separation by the fastener about the articles of merchandise,such as skins that the length of the tie member can be indeterminate sothat the starting with the maximum length which may be necessary aterminal portion thereof of any desired length may be cut away and thenew terminal portion thus provided cooperate with the fastener withoutany impairment of its eiliciency.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing,` I show a different embodiment in my inventionwhich is particularly adapted for my purposes and in which the tiemember is absolutely independent of the fastener and in which there--fore,'no special provision has to be made for securing the tie memberthereto and in this en'ibodiment, I show a hollow asing 30, hollowed outto form a compartment 81, the opposite ends of which are narrowed ortapered as shown at 32 and 33. lVithin the opposite ends of this casing,are arranged plunger members t2 each having a central passa-ge A13therethrough and the transverse passagesrt within which transverse passages are received the balls L15, the forward end of each of theseplungers being tapered as shown at Each plunger in all re-V spects isconstructed and functions as does the plunger 14; in the en'ibodiment ofFig. l. The casing is provided at its opposite ends with 'the openings1:7 and lt therethrough which preferably register with the longitudinalopenings 'fl-3 through the plungers and each of which serves the samepurpose 'as the opening 21 in the embodiment of Fig. 1'; A spring 50preferably of the spiral 1an y terminal end lof the length so removedisy inserted through one of the openings 4'? or 4S in the end walls ofthe casing 30 and into the longitudinal passage 43 in the adjacentplunger member to cause a clutching engagement between the balls 45 andsuch terminal end vagainst removal so that the withdrawal to suchterminal end from the casing is therefore impossible without destructionof either the tie member or the fastener. The tie member is then passedabout the merchandise such as the group of skins A in Fig. 3 so as totightly grip them and the opposite terminal ends inserted through theopposite openings in the opposite end of the casing and into the passage43 in the other plunger to secure the gripping engagement therebetween.

One of the important features of my invention is the fact that thefastening element which is to secure the terminal ends of a tie memberagainst separation is of such a character with reference to the tiemember that, the terminal portions of the tie member can be insertedthere-in for association against separation and by stepped incrementsthe tie member about the merchandise shortened so that thereforeassuming one terminal end f the tie member locked in position to thefastener against withdrawal or removal and the tie member passed aboutthe mechandise, the gripping engagement between the tie member and themerchandise, can be'increased by increments corresponding with theincrements by which other terminal ends of the tie member are insertedand pushed into the locking member. Y

It is the practice among furriers to `associate together by a string anumber of skins which are shipped to the dyeing establishment whichskins are tied as a group while dyed together. In this connection, theemployment of a wire is particularly useful because of the fact that thewire is -not affected by the dye; furthermore, the casing l0 may havethereon the name of the fnrri-er from whom the skins are received sothat the liability of the tag being removed or lost or destroyed duringthe shipping and dyeing process is eliminated. In this manner, I

attain the advantages not only inherent in wire, but also the specialadvantages of such material in connection with the manner in which themechandise secured thereby is to be operated upon.

0f course, it will be understood that. while I have disclosed my tiemember as secured about the skins and holding them by friction, it couldbe effected by having a wire passed through the skins.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to securey by Letters Patent is:

1. A fastener comprising, in combination, a wire substantiallysymmetrical and uniform throughout its length, a casing having anopening in one end properly proportioned to receive an end of the wireinserted slidably therein, means at the opposite end of the casing tomaintain an end of the wire associated therewith, a spring-presse-dblock within the casing having a passage in alignment with the openingin the casing, and a member carried by the block proportioned forwedging engagement with the wire and actuated by the spring action.

'2. A fastener comprising, in combination, a. Wire substantiallysymmetrical and uniform throughout its length, a casing having a taperedend and an opening in said tapered end properly proportioned to receivean end of the wire inserted slidably therein, means at the opposite endof the casing to maintain an end of the wire associated therewith, a'spring-pressed tapered block within the tapered end of the casing havinga.' passage in alignment with the opening in the casing, andamembercarried by the block proportioned for wedging engagement with the wireand actuated by the interaction of the spring and the taper of thecasing. Y

3. A fastenercomprising, in combination, aV wire substantiallysymmetrical and uniform throughout; its length, a casing tapered at oneend and having an opening in the tapered end properly proportioned toreceive an end of the wire inserted slidably therein, means at theopposite end of the casing to maintainv an end of the wire associatedtherewith, aI spring-pressed tapered block within the casing having apassage in alignment with the opening in the casing and a lateralopening, a member inserted into the lateral opening and carried by theblock proportioned for wedging engagement with the wire and actuated byinteraction of the spring and the taper of the casing.

ln witness whereof, l have signed this specification, this th d y ofApril 1925.

MARCUS B. BEHRMAN.

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